Just a brief post to let you know that Radio Drama Revival, one of the longest running and most popular radio drama podcasts (also an on air radio show) have been kind enough to rebroadcast my radio sitcom ‘Choices‘. Although host Fred Greenhalgh disagrees with calling it a ‘radio sitcom’. Judge for yourself!

Ainesh Sharma is an under confident, over intellectual Indian-Irish twenty something. Ainesh has always been a victim of circumstance; working jobs he didn’t enjoy and failing to live up to his potential. Now, sacked from his factory job and thrown out of home by his disappointed parents, Ainesh is forced to train as a psychotherapist. His course is in ‘Choosing Therapy’, the philosophy that we choose our own destiny, and that everything that happens is our fault. With nowhere to stay, Ainesh is forced to live with two of his bizarre classmates. We follow him as he learns whether there really is such a thing as choice, and if so, how he can make his own destiny.

Choices was funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, and originally produced for Dublin City FM. The show starred Katie McCann, Aishlinn O’Byrne, Kieran Roche and Dylan Jones, and was produced by Heather MacLeod.

Last year Radio Drama Revival also rebroadcast our ambitious 2012 on location production ‘Any Other Dublin‘. Both Dublin and Choices are available as podcasts on iTunes (and in the listings of pretty much every other podcatcher), if you’d prefer to check them out in episodic format!

A new podcast, in the style of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 or RiffTrax. James Van De Waal and Gareth Stack sit down and riff (in the style of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 or RiffTrax) over sucky television.

How it works

Each episode we watch an episode of an old TV show, and insult it in real time. If you’d like to play along with this weeks show, google ‘American Gothic S01E02’, find a stream of the first episode of this lost ‘classic’, fire up the podcast and hit play when we tell you to. Be warned, this is outrageously NSFW.

This is a new show, an experiment if you like. James Van De Waal and Gareth Stack sit down and riff (in the style of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 or RiffTrax) over sucky television.

Here’s how it works: Each episode we watch an episode of an old TV show, and insult it in real time. If you’d like to play along with this weeks show, google ‘American Gothic S01E01’, find a stream of the first episode of this lost ‘classic’, fire up the podcast and hit play when we tell you to. Be warned, this is outrageously NSFW.

Donal, director of the award winning new Irish film ‘Out of Here’, talks about the movie, being a first time director, crowd funding, and creating a movie that integrates improvisation, non-professional actors and a real directorial point of view.

My wee sister talks about her knew event listings project ‘Secret City Dublin’. Secret City is a new way to find out about what’s going on in the city. Particularly underground and arts based events that are free or cheap, and open to all.

Writer, punk rock chartreuse, leprechaun expert, Bobby Ahern does it all. We have this fresh faced Dublin impresario join us in studio to chat about his brand spanking new book ‘Do You Remember Y’er Man’, and play a whole bunch of acoustamatic songaroonies.

79:00 – 82:00 Andrew’s Teacher, Professor Dereck Polly

Featuring jingles by the one and only Roger Gregg. And hosting by Andrew Booth, with special guest Gareth Stack.

I was almost honoured to be approached by Skellig Historical Society after reading the first chapter of great grandfather’s once notorious, now sadly novel. As you are perhaps aware, great grandfather was one of Skellig’s most generous benefactors, having been fascinated all his life by the history and unique culture of islands.

Leman Bodley, former chair of the society, told me a great anecdote about great granddads’s lewd performance at the bicentennial of the sinking of Hollands Melvaart, which of course I can’t share for legal reasons. Buy me a dozen quarts of the black stuff and perhaps you’ll wet it out of me.

In any case, the surviving members of the society are all interred together in a retirement community near Clara Lara, and seemed to greatly enjoy the last excerpt, as far as their carers could discern. It seemed only right to give them another slice of history, as they have room enough remaining for only one or two before joining it themselves.

Music Concerto in E flat major Op.30; G minor Op.12, by Antonio Vivaldi, recorded from Grandfather’s phonograph.

Image: Photograph of great grandfather having a grand old time, from the family archives. Courtesy Skellig Historical Society, circa 1911

https://garethstack.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/chapter-1.mp3Download:Chapter 1
My great grandfather’s book ‘An examination of the effect on character of greatly altered circumstances, as epitomised by the divergent conditions into which two young unfortunates are thrust by the wretched cynicism of their betters,’ or ‘The Wager’ caused an enormous stir upon its initial release in 1919. The book so shocked and dismayed its late Edwardian audience, that it was prohibited both in Ireland, and across the Commonwealth. The book’s content invited comparisons in The Times to ‘the depravities of Wilde, absent his wit’. Today long forgotten, I thought I’d wile away a Summer evening with what seemed likely a dry exercise, but became an entertaining one. This reading is from the second edition, released abroad in 1920.

Music Concerto in E flat major Op.30; G minor Op.12, by Antonio Vivaldi, recorded from Grandfather’s phonograph.

Natalie’s bullying finally culminates in a complete mental breakdown for Ainesh. Humiliated and desperate, Ainesh locks himself inside a classroom and refuses to come out. Inside he creates a sock puppet utopia. Committed instantly, Ainesh is taken to Our Lady of Infinite Jest mental hospital. Stillman is on his first internship and Ainesh is his first patient. Can Ainesh escape the hospital and find justice?

Your monthly dose of lowbrow comedy and middlebrow culture with Gareth Stack, hosted by Andrew Booth. This episodes first guest was Tom Rowley of Storymap.ie, a website that lets you find and create stories to accompany your trip to Dublin. We were also joined by Dublin indie folk harmonisers Mongoose, who lent their dulcet chorus to our tired old ears. We chatted about manhood, murder, storytelling and munched down on some phallic confectionary. This month’s murderer was celebrated drummer Jim Gordon.

An encounter group led by Sean becomes deeply personal. Ainesh seeks help from his therapist. He finds his therapist is going out of business due to a glut of newly trained psychotherapists. Ainesh takes on a humiliating and poorly paid job at a fast food restaurant. Stillman arrives to try to convince Ainesh to help him save Emma Jane.